A Disturbing Encounter - Ramesh Ramanathan in MINT

(Ramesh Ramanathan is co-founder of Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy)

My wife Swati and I were in Dubai last week, attending a conference. This piece isn’t about the conference; it’s about a disturbing conversation that we had with a taxi driver in Dubai.

    He was a short, slim, nondescript man wearing a white shirt and a loosely knotted tie. I asked him his name, and he replied, “Shakeel.”

If the system lets you remain bad, actually makes things worse and forces you onto the wrong path, where’s the hope?

    “Where are you from, Shakeel?” Swati asked, and continued, “Pakistan?” Most of the help in Dubaiare South Asian-mainly Indians and Pakistanis.

“No, India.”

    “Kahan se, India mein?” I asked, switching to Hindi. He relaxed visibly, and the rest of the conversation was in Hindi.

“Hyderabad, sir.”

“Do you like Dubai?” Swati asked.

    “Haan, madam. It’s a good place. Very safe. You can walk around with a lakh of dirhams in your pocket and nothing will happen. If you leave something in a taxi, you need to make just one call and the item will be returned in 15 minutes.”

    “So why did you leave Hyderabad?” I asked. He was non-committal, saying he had family problems. “Do you like the life here, or are you here to make money and return to India?” we asked, given that many others had expressed this sentiment.

    “I am happy here. I will keep working here, no problems.” He glanced in the rear-view mirror at us, to emphasize his commitment to the city.

    We pushed him on why he liked to stay in Dubai when many of those doing the manual and service-level jobs had said they didn’t really like the quality of life.

    “What is not to like here? Things work very well. There is no crime, everyone is subject to the same laws, you can even go up to the Sheikh and shake hands with him. Can you do this in India?”

    “But what about democracy?” we asked, “Don’t you feel...daba hua, oppressed...that the city has someone called a ruler, or that you can’t criticize him?”—the standard argument about places that “work” better than India, but compromise on civil liberties and free speech. We were cruising down one of Dubai’s modern highways, with manicured green belts ribboning the sides.

    “Kya democracy, saab? What is the purpose of democracy if people don’t feel safe?”

    As we pushed him on his arguments, he suddenly fixed his eyes on us and said, “Dekhiye, main aap ko batata hoon, main India mein khoon karke aaya hoon. I have killed a man, stabbed him to death.”

    I felt the air rush out of me. Sitting in the back of the quiet taxi, it seemed unreal that this unassuming driver could really be a killer. I didn’t turn to see Swati, but I could sense that she was also in shock. Breaking what was becoming an awkward silence, I asked, “How? Why? Whom did you kill?”

    “It was a family feud, there was some disagreement, so I killed him,” he said somewhat matter-of-factly.

“But why would you kill him, wasn’t there some other way out?”

    He shook his head, as though mulling some thoughts, and after a few moments, said, “OK, let me tell you, I was a goonda in my area. We would commit all kinds of crimes, we were part of a bigger gang. I was in charge of my neighbourhood. At election time, we were the ones who took care of the voting issues as well. I can admit it now, I was a rowdy-sheeter with the police.

    “After I killed the man, I was in trouble. I needed to leave the country, but I couldn’t get a passport and visa. But India mein, paise se sab chalta hai. I paid money, bribed people in various departments, got my papers and came away to Dubai. Now, I go back to India every year—I can stand in front of the same police people, and they can’t lift a finger to touch me. They just look the other way. What democracy! When you can bribe for everything, when you can get away with anything?”

    “But this is strange, are you blaming India’s democracy for you being a criminal? You are the one who committed the crime. So they should have caught you and put you behind bars, is that your complaint?”

    “Yes! How can people get away? Here, if I had done anything similar, I would have lost my life. Maybe if they had caught me when I was doing petty crimes, I wouldn’t have slid down this path.Dekhiye, we all want to live good lives, but majboori hai. We need to know that the system works.Bura insaan bhi sudharna chahta hai. Everyone wants to reform and live a clean life. But if the system allows you to remain bad and actually makes things worse and forces you to take the wrong path, where is the hope? Here, I live an honest life, drive the taxi, get my wages and tips, and I am happy. No crime around me, no crime for me. Tell me, if democracy can’t guarantee that, what’s the point of having it?”

    Of all the debates we have had about the challenges of democracy, few have been as disquieting as the one we had with this Indian taxi driver in Dubai.

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Niliesh-

Lets accept that if Democracy is giving you the various rights as we learnt in Civics at school, it is also at the same time empowering social evils with those very same rights at the same time.

Democracy unfortunately cannot distinguish between good and bad, because it gives en equal status to all. It is right in doing so. So then do we really cry foul of its inefficiancies?

Repeated adjournements, several hearing dates, lack of concrete evidences, statements and anti-statements, rather in a gist trying to accomodate every "tom dick and harry" clauses within itself, isnt even our Democratic Juduciary tied down securely with conviction coming ABSOLUTELY ONLY WHEN you present before the Court of Law "MOther of all" types of evidences?

I wonder if this will change and law EVER will be stricter to prevent more Shakeels.

Yes "He" can...And us?

Carrying a middle name of Hussein and a colored skin, Barack Obama has done what very few others have in history.
Stand up, and stand strong against the conventional and being successful!

Well, I am here trying to draw parallels (or perpendiculars??) between this historic politician and our beloved Ram-Rajya Mantris!

For donkeys years now, Indian politicians always resort to mudslinging during elections, calling names a times completely out of context. Bulk of the “talk” time is “spend” on glorifying what the previous Government could not achieve. While the incumbent stick to what the Government has achieved!
What about the manifesto?
Oops! Start scratching their heads and release a “CD” or a “Corporate Presentation” (err Catalogues!). Come on, do we ever get to see that? Of-course not! No one really cares to read a Manifesto! Okay, I will correct myself; the opposition sure reads that! They need issues to attack the other during the next 5 years don’t they!

The way in which Obama guided American Voters to believe that there is something he could do to bring about that “change”, is nothing different from what an Advani or a Sonia Gandhi does. Politics, in its very nature BEGINS from rhetoric BUT has to conclude at delivering the Governance.

However, it is the grace in which Obama managed to garner the respect of the voters across the races. Colored and White skins together! Apart from his personal Charisma and oratory, most of the grace comes from the system of American Politicians to conduct themselves.

• Obama - McCain did very little of attacking each other, rather each of them claimed to be better equipped to handle American Issues better.
At our end; Congress MP Rajesh Khanna attacks Vajpayee questioning “We may have to ask the Prime Minister how, without being married, he has a son-in-law. Who is married to whom?”
And our dear George Fernandes responds to Sonia Gandhi “``what is her contribution to the nation? The two children she gave birth to.'' A BJP leader in Gujarat even called Sonia a bar-girl who danced in an Italian nightclub!

• Obama - McCain argued on Taxation, Outsourcing, and Health Care since these are the current issues America is fighting.
While we only heard “Reservations” and “Free TV’s!” “Free Electricity” and “We are for YOU” war cries!
This time though, I am sure we have “Marathi Vs Biharis” added “to taste”, just like you add salt “to taste”.

• Agendas keep changing in the US. While Bush argued Afghanistan and Iraq War, since USA could afford to do so that time. Obama went all out to end it. Bush Argued in his time for Homeland Security, Obama – McCain pressed the need of economic resurgence.
Too sad we end up listening to stories of ending Corruption for past 50years! Roti, bijli sadak are promised every year since Independence. Wonder when these are coming! Agree they are being delivered in small quanta’s, but when are we going to move on? Will issues ever change?

• Every Presidential candidate has an option to use the funds from the Federal system, which allows every American to donate 3$ from the Tax he pays to the Fed to the Election Fund. Of course Obama went all out to secure the funds from the public who paid the donations “legally” through the Internet!
Now, I wonder who is funding our politicians!??
The last Obama – McCain election campaign raised an estimated 1Billion US$ i.e. around Rs.4600 Crores. American population being 300million, and hence indeed works out to 3$ per capita donation!
What if we were to allow 1$ or say Rs.50 from every Tax Payer to the election fund on an Avg, cant we raise Rs.5000Crores? End to Corruption forever? Meaning, no party to spend on Winning Elections, hence no “recovery” during 5years of power and hence better governance?



• It is remarkable how Presidential Candidates sit across the same table and argue on National Television on they would get things right. There is a mark of respect to each other despite the dog fight! It is all in good taste and dignity.
"Beloved" Prakash Jawdekar, BJP and "Admirable" Abhishek Singhvi, Congress (both respective Spokesperson) make a mockery of our constitutional “Right to Freedom of Expression” by going absolutely at each other every time NDTV or IBN-7 gives them a phone call! Grow up guys!
Please stop insulting our intelligence!


It is remarkable how Presidential Candidates and their politics are given at least a clean colour, despite all the dirtiness behind it. The very sanctity of the coveted chair is kept in high moral ground and respected.
And it is just about time the Indian Democracy realizes that we are no longer just a large country with the second highest population and an extremely buoyant growing economy. We are a responsible and significantly important political power in Global Politics.

Obama proved he can. He let go of petty politics and called for America to Unite. He called for an end to political division at the hour of crisis. To add to this glorious moment in history, even McCain responds that they are Americans in the end and will need to resolve issues together!

At least, to start with we can try to a bit more “decent”? Parliament listening?